It's a Good Time to be the Church

It is a good time to be the church. In these past 12 years, I’ve said that in every season of our ministry together - and meant it! This season, however, words cannot capture my excitement over what we get to do as the church right now.

Our college-age internship is off and running. By the end of the summer, we expect to have about 17 college-age students working with us in paid positions. On June 13, our high school Abiding Fellows internship program will launch with around 12 students with us at various times during the summer in paid positions.

Each morning this past week, Pastor Kelsey and/or I sat with our interns to share in morning prayer and scripture reading. We are not only modeling discipleship, we are intentionally teaching it. Then, our interns took part in the behind the scenes life of the church. They learned “life skills” like how to load the bypass tray of a copy machine and how to remove wall anchors before painting. They worked in the food pantry, brainstormed summer camp themes, painted, organized, helped with OWLs and much more.

Make no mistake, what we are doing as a church this summer is BIG. Really, really BIG! It is possible because of the financial generosity of the whole church and a few special gifts from people who are passionate about discipling young people. (Could you be one of those people? Call me! I’d love to talk about the possibilities.)

As a church, there is no more important thing that we can invest in than people, especially young people who are making big decisions about their lives, the world and the church. These are our next generation of pastors and church council presidents, lay leaders and church staff. The church will continue because they want to make sure it does (and, because the Holy Spirit will show up in and through them).

I am grateful for Pastor Kelsey’s leadership and passion for creating space - literal and physical - for young people in the church. What is happening this summer is the result of the congregation’s decision to invest in an associate pastor for youth and college-age ministry.

Now, what can you do? Pray! We are gifting our interns with the time and space to grow in faith and listen to God’s call for their lives. Pray for them. Engage! Check out the intern spotlights that will appear all summer. Help our interns network for a future career, ask them questions, offer to take them to lunch or shadow you for the day (we will gladly give them the time to do it). Be excited! You are part of a church that is doing something BIG. Talk about it with your friends. Tell them that it is a good time to be the church and invite them to come be the church with you.